


Words left unsaid (hurt the most)

by mitsuki_yuriko



Series: Super Junior Cafe [2]
Category: Super Junior
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst, Dorks in Love, Heartbreak, Kyuhyun needs a hug, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 13:45:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17961704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitsuki_yuriko/pseuds/mitsuki_yuriko
Summary: Perhaps, Kyuhyun sometimes thinks, when the night is late, and his defences are low. Perhaps, if we had more time.Perhaps, we could have been something more.





	Words left unsaid (hurt the most)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Kindly leave a kudos or a comment on your way out, they seriously make my day :)

Kyuhyun remembers the first time he met Donghae; lovely, beautiful, kind-hearted Donghae.

Donghae, who was like a puzzle.

He was shy and conservative, yet wore his heart openly on his sleeve. As country boy who came to the big city, he was brave and independent, yet needy for affection and care from other people. A man who had lived through hardship without bending, yet who would cry when he got mad, or when he was touched by a sweet gesture. A man who was stubborn and headstrong, yet sensitive and empathetic.

He remembers his first time hearing Donghae laugh. It was a little thing, really, Kyuhyun attempting a latte art that ended up more like a misshapen football than a heart, but the man’s peals of laughter and genuine delight made Kyuhyun’s heart sing.

He remembers his first time seeing Donghae cry. He was chatting to an elderly customer, a regular who frequented because he looked like her grandson, who moved away and she rarely saw anymore. She would treat him like her own child, doting on him and filling in the empty spot in her heart. He turned around and saw Donghae, liquid crystal pooling in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks, touched by her story.

 

He remembers falling in love with Donghae, the man with a beautiful soul.

 

Kyuhyun is a man of logic. He had nothing to do with the arts, and he certainly was no poet. But to him, Donghae was like the moon, shining softly, gently, in the night. Lighting the way in the darkness for lost travellers, making sure everyone found their way home. He was eternal yet ephemeral, everlasting yet fleeting.

 

Heechul notices it, of course. The sharp-eyed manager sees everything.

“You don’t love him, Kyuhyun,” he says, almost gently. “You love the idea of loving him, but you don’t love him as a person.”

 

Kyuhyun denies it, disregards it, shoving away the sympathetic look in Heechul’s eyes into the corner of his mind. But his words continue to haunt him.

 

 

Kyuhyun remembers the first time he met Eunhyuk; bright, strong-willed, hard-working Eunhyuk.

Eunhyuk, who was another mystery.

Eunhyuk, who had lived through a difficult past, yet despite knowing the cruelness of the world, chose to be kind. The man who was unjaded by his terrible experiences, who was passionate and full of life, who shone brighter than almost everyone else. The man who accepted challenges and faced them head-on, yet was humble and down-to-earth.

He remembers his first conversation with the man, whispering words of advice when the other was new and lost and puzzled. He remembers the brightness of the dazzling bright smile he was rewarded with.

He doesn’t remember seeing Eunhyuk’s tears, because Eunhyuk doesn’t cry. But he hears from Sungmin, about the time Eunhyuk was furious, flying into a cold rage and attacking a customer for daring to hurt his friends. How very like him, Kyuhyun remembers thinking. How very like the fiercely protective and loyal man, to speak up and do what he believed was right, uncaring of the consequences.

 

He remembers looking up to Eunhyuk, who treated him like family.

 

 

Kyuhyun watches them, sometimes.

He sees the way Donghae looked at Eunhyuk, like he was his own personal sun. Like he was the loveliest, most precious thing in the universe.

He sees the way Eunhyuk looked at Donghae, like a blind man seeing the rainbow for the very first time. His eyes were always paralyzingly soft whenever he looked at the man.

Kyuhyun sees the way they move, talk and laugh, always gravitating towards each other, completely naturally, attracted to each other like magnets.

They were complete opposites, yet perfectly balanced, the sun and the moon.

 

Kyuhyun watches as they grow closer, and watches as they fall in love. Their love is quiet, like the soft spring rain, gentle and unwavering.

 

Sometimes it’s subtle, in the little things. The way they walk together, side by side, fingers entwined. The way they spend time together at work, laughing about one thing or another, engaging in quiet conversation or even just in comfortable silence, basking in the warmth of the other’s company, completely in their own little world. The way one waits for the other when they finish early, just so they can walk home together. The way they share everything – from ice creams, to lunches, even clothes. Kyuhyun will never forget the time Eunhyuk came to work wearing Donghae’s uniform, which Heechul never fails to bring up in conversations, even till this day.

 

Sometimes it’s more noticeable, in the bigger things. It’s in the way Eunhyuk hovers protectively when Donghae’s fragile health isn’t doing well in the colder months. The way he goes out his way to learn to cook herbal soups, just so he can look after the elder. The way he slowly nurses Donghae back to health, disregarding almost all else during the process. The way Eunhyuk has taken a liking to big, fluff jackets, stuffed with soft down, which he wraps around Donghae on cold days. The way Donghae recounts Eunhyuk’s clumsy attempts at nursing and his mother hen tendencies, eyes heartbreakingly soft.

 

They rarely argue, they fight even less frequently. Donghae is tranquil and easy going, comfortable with Eunhyuk making decisions for the two of them. And Eunhyuk is weak against Donghae, almost always letting the elder get his way when he wants something.

But they can both be stubborn people, and when they fight for real, Donghae’s tears against Eunhyuk’s shouts, the whole store knows about it.

Eunhyuk will temporarily change shifts, swapping with Kangin or Shindong for some time away. Sometimes, he will tentatively seek out the older members and ask for advice, but most of the time he will retreat into himself and try to work things out.

Donghae will invite himself over to his friends’ houses, and spill his heart out to them. He needs someone there, to listen, to understand, as he sorts through his thoughts and feelings and emotions. Heechul and Kyuhyun are his favourite to go to, who will sit him down and hold him as he cries, until he is ready to face the world again.

But their fights never last long. Donghae needs his Eunhyuk, and Eunhyuk needs his Donghae. It was like they were one soul split into two bodies, each needing the other half to be complete.

 

He remembers asking, one night, when he was working a closing shift with Eunhyuk.

 _Hyung,_ he had asked. _Do you… do you like Donghae hyung?_

He lays out his reasoning, his logical conclusion after weeks of observations and evidence-collecting. He keeps a careful eye on Eunhyuk’s expression as he elaborates.

Eunhyuk tries to play it off, ruffling his hair and changing the subject, but Kyuhyun notices that he never directly answered the question.

Still, the small, genuine, content smile that graced the elder’s face for the rest of the evening was answer enough for him.

 

 

Kyuhyun sees them, watches them as they fall in love, his brother and his first love.

There couldn’t be a more perfect pairing, people more suited for each other than Eunhyuk and Donghae.

 

 _Perhaps_ , he sometimes thinks, when the night is late, and his defences are low. _Perhaps, if we had more time._

_Perhaps, we could have been something more._

 

But he sees the way Donghae looks at Eunhyuk, like he is the dearest thing in the world, and the way Eunhyuk looks back at Donghae, so full of love and affection and fondness, and he realises he couldn’t compare, would never be able to compare, and would never bear to take that away from them.

 

So Kyuhyun squashes down the feelings threatening to erupt, firmly shushes his heart, and stands as their best man on their special day, sharing their happiness and joy.

 

As they exchange vows that fine spring day, in the warm company of their beloved family and friends,

 

With shaky hands, from the bottom of his heart, Kyuhyun prays.

 

He closes his eyes, and prays.

 

For the new couple

 

For their happiness

 

And what’s more,

 

He prays for

 

 

‘eternity’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**End.**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

\---

 

**Alternative ending:**

 

 

 

Kyuhyun sees them, watches them as they fall in love, his brother and his first love.

There couldn’t be a more perfect pairing, people more suited for each other than Eunhyuk and Donghae.

 

 _Perhaps_ , he sometimes thinks, when the night is late, and his defences are low.  _Perhaps, if we had more time._

_Perhaps, we could have been something more._

 

But he sees the way Donghae looks at Eunhyuk, like he is the dearest thing in the world, and the way Eunhyuk looks back at Donghae, so full of love and affection and fondness, and he realises he couldn’t compare, would never be able to compare, and would never bear to take that away from them.

 

So Kyuhyun squashes down the feelings threatening to erupt, firmly shushes his heart. He tells himself that he should be happy, should be glad that his most precious people have found each other, have found happiness.

 

He tells himself, even as his heart slowly shatters to pieces, that he shouldn't care.

 

He denies it (his feelings)

 

He rejects it (his emotions)

 

He locks away his heart.

 

 

But every time he sees the happy couple, his chest clenches painfully.

 

Because still, he loves.

 

And still, it hurts.

 

It hurts.

 

 

 

 

**End.**

 


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